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It's more of what happened to them after the Civil War, Illinois was extremely ambitious as a state and Wisconsin in a way was a personal servant as a piece of perspective. A lot of the reasons why Chicago burst the way it did was due to the insane amount of resources they were getting from Wisconsin. This also meant there was a large economic difference by far from the two states too along side with Wisconsin was pretty much constantly working, almost breaking it's obvious limit from mining, trees, and so on. Eventually an excessively dry season hit. Eventually October 8, 1871 hit -- The Great Fire in Chicago. But north of it -- there was another fire. Orders where by Illinois to help the Chicago Fire, of course they went to rush to their aid with majority of the supplies.

Not exactly the same with the fire north of it which took 2,400+ people and who knows how many more in the aftermath from sheer damage. The basic reaction to hearing about the Peshitgo Fire was side comments along the lines of how stupid the state of Wisconsin was for not helping it's own people and having the gall to divert attention to itself, basically insulting the state in a sort of, "Well you should of helped yourself first instead of me, now get over it." Least to say, from then on the relationship soured, not only because of that tragedy but due to class issues, ignoring the problems in the state, often the fact that the people in Wisconsin even then continued to bring supplies there for little in return, and so on.

That being said, it was leading up to that point as it was, and if it wasn't that it probably would have been something else. The following years after that just hammered it home.

WIsconsin's condition was pretty horrible overall though, like most states but it was horrible enough to create a 'revolution' of sorts in the state with the Progressive Movement/Socialist Movement, so this can give you a picture of how bad shape it was actually in from After the Civil War to the 1900s. The condition was bad enough that it produced La Follette, who fought for decent treatment of people and always had Wisconsin first and foremost in mind just to what he saw the people go through. Not necessarily from that fire, but just how many accidents, tragedies, little pay and so on were going through until he finally got to power officially. In result, it ... makes Wisconsin actually see La Follette in reality, almost more like a messiah or a legend, than an actual man who was striving to do good for his people for the love his country and most of all his state. So in a way, it's an interesting contrast is between Illinois and Wisconsin in result, in a way are the people who made a big impact on them - for Illinois and Lincoln while with Wisconsin with La Follette. Both states if you historically look at it - mourned greatly at their losses, and both handled the aftermath vastly in different ways due to different circumstances.

However there is still an unconscious mentality that Illinois is rich, spending money to take away what is theirs, and so on when in reality Illinois suffered from a similar situations - it's just Wisconsin only sees a one sided perspective because it is a giant vacation spot for Illinois. (and still is) In result, Wisconsin lashes out the only way it can lash out: passive aggressively majority of the time, and aggressively if they're together by themselves. Least to say, when Illinois says things like "get over it" - it just makes it worse, because they said it too soon originally in the first place when tragedy happened.

Basically, it leads down to a ton of things that grew over time but comes down to something that happens when you read between the lines, the papers at the time, letters, and so on. It was actually probably even happening during the Civil War, but at the time they were focused on a common enemy.

Mind you the relationship has got better, but you get Wisconsinites and from Illinois together, they'll probably revert to fighting, but just not as bad they probably would have done years ago. It's kind of the mutual dislike between MIssouri and Kansas.

I personally think cousins that meet each other a lot would be actually a better feeling about it, along the lines, they hung out a lot when they were kids and eventually just lost contact with each other for obvious reasons. It also is more of an issue that Illinois never really 'grew' in the western portion of the state, and always had it's problems towards the southern portion of it due to ambitions, so there was really no way they could really reconnect in that sense. It could be played right though if it was a showing of a gradual detachment towards each other in historical roleplay or something like that.

I always saw the states and country not even actually 'related' by blood, but their relations like if they called a state a sibling -- meant their attachment and meant everything in the world because it was almost a honor in a sense? That being said, them thinking they are siblings - they actually are. Therefore, I can see them actually being siblings depending on connections. ( I always had an idea that Lower Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois once thought themselves as related, but then Wisconsin and Illinois kinda broke off completely to loath each other, and they don't acknowledge Lower Michigan anymore who is like "Hey guys!" because their hatred for each other is that intense. sweatdrop )

Also, I have a small question: What are your thoughts on certain abilities of states/cities/provinces/country personifications? I'm wondering this because it got me wondering after reading this comic in Volume 4 with France. Because one thing I found absolutely fascinating from the official source was this:

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This comic was pretty interesting to me because it proved that the nations do interact with people, but they can also do a disappearing act if they wanted to if you can tell by the reaction of the U.S. - and if so what are their limits? Do they only have that ability to do that on their own hometurf so to speak or is it universal? I'm pretty much in the feeling it's only their own hometurf but I'm not sure. Want to spice up more discussion in that sense!

I've been debating on my personifications and what abilities they might have to be honest, or if it would be noticeable. I've pretty much come to a conclusion they all have the disappearing act if they so choose as long as they are within their boundaries or if they're able to do the disappearing act -- it's more like some place they're extremely familiar with.

Think along the lines of say they were in their own state, and wanted to go to another city there -- if they knew it, they could will it. However, when going out of state -- to say like example: Tennessee wants to go to Missouri, he can't do that and poof there automatically due to it being out of his boundaries. However, I'm not sure if they actually all have a grasp on that ability or not, to that level. I bet many don't often do that unless they want to remain secretive however. ( example: I have an idea that Wisconsin in order to influence others turns himself invisible in the state Capitol and is more or less these creepy footsteps - because he thinks his actual form will be more unnerving somehow. So instead, a lot of people think the Capitol is haunted. :') )

However, with state-tans/nation-tans actually interacting with each other -- they can see right through it in a sense.

My thoughts on personifications are kind of hilarious honestly.

I only saw it in early canon, but then after a while they faded out completely in my opinion. And yes, Wisconsin's capitol has apparently always been haunted, in people's eyes. It doesn't help that eventually a construction accident happened there and people were killed too when building it. But yes, I wouldn't be surprised if it is actually haunted, but they keep mistaking it for the wrong thing.

I always saw that as a home field advantage too, in a way. So the further away they are from home, the less abilities they sort of have in that sense. And chances are, the only way to 'kill' one is by killing the very concept in that sense or the concept in itself is believed to be dead. Therefore, they probably can survive things normal humans can't.

Oh absolutely, I agree on some level. Because of this, I believe there is no one giant Native America, but probably a bunch of different nations all over the place -- which are still alive if they managed to survive. I think the states as we know it now, are reincarnations of something, but perhaps the very 'concept' of the idea that tied the tribes together in some shape or form before them which became mortal when that concept was shaken from it's foundation.

Example: Miskous before Wisconsin, and once the Native Tribes in the area noticed the change, knowing things were going to be different -- therefore that concept became mortal, maybe lived side by side for a bit -- only to be ended in some shape or form or another. That being said, if there was no 'concept' of the idea prior to that, there was likely only nations there alone and the states to be magically appeared there. It's pretty complex in my head but pretty cool.